Goats return to Brackenridge Park to eat overgrown areas

Goats graze on a bush at Brackenridge Park on May 18, 2022. The Brackenridge Park Conservancy and San Antonio Parks and Recreation have partnered again to bring in 160 goats to eat overgrowth at the park. 
Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Express-News 
Gabriella Ybarra, gabriella.ybarra@express-news.net
June 13, 2023 at 04:45PM

San Antonio is enlisting the help of some old friends to take care of Brackenridge Park's overgrown acres. 

Last year, the goats trimmed 7 acres of overgrown parkland that was obstructing visibility and hiking paths. 

The usage of the goats is meant to be an eco-friendly way to address overgrown areas that are unsafe or unsuitable for heavy machinery, according to the Brackenridge Park Conservancy. 

“We were thrilled with the goats’ results last year and are excited to welcome them back to Brackenridge Park," Charlotte Mitchell, project liaison at the Brackenridge Park Conservancy, said in a news release. "They address dense overgrowth in a natural and eco-friendly way that is simply amazing to watch and is a treat for the community to experience.” 

This year, the goats will tackle areas along Brackenridge Way through Mulberry Street and will eat unwanted plant species such as green briars, Chinaberry, glossy privet berries, ligustrum poison ivy and poison oak. 

Goats are ideal for clearing overgrown areas because they are natural climbers that can scale hills with ease, according to the Brackenridge Park Conservancy.

The goats are expected graze up until Friday, depending on how long it takes for them to eat up the unwanted plants. There will be an electric fence and goat herders on-site to assist the goats. 

During the period, the Brackenridge Park Conservancy is asking park visitors to not feed or pet the goats. Photos are encouraged but only from behind the fence. 

To catch a glimpse of the goats, the best spot will be at that picnic pad on Brackenridge Way opposite of the train tunnel. They will also be viewable while riding the San Antonio Zoo train. 

“As the goats graze across Texas, we’re glad to welcome them back to San Antonio,” Homer Garcia III, director of San Antonio Parks and Recreation, said in a news release. “The goats provide eco-friendly solutions for vegetation management, and this season, we’re excited to see how they can help control and manage invasive bamboo at the park.”